Evaluación del Marco de Políticas Mineras del IGF: Ecuador

The report evaluates Ecuador's mining policy framework, identifying a strong constitutional and legal basis for environmental protection and social participation. While the government has successfully attracted large-scale investment and implemented an innovative advance royalty system for community benefit, significant gaps remain in technical regulation for mine closure, environmental monitoring of large-scale waste, and the formalization of artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM). The assessment emphasizes the need for more robust community consultation processes and increased technical capacity within state regulatory agencies to ensure sustainable mining development.

• Ecuador's legal foundation is strong, with a Constitution that recognizes nature as a subject of rights and mandates that mining be managed according to environmental sustainability principles.
• The government has implemented an innovative financial system where mining companies pay royalties in advance to fund local development projects, aiming to foster social peace before production begins.
• There is a significant lack of technical guidelines and institutional capacity regarding mine closure plans, with a general absence of detailed engineering and financial guarantees for the post-mining transition.
• Environmental management for large-scale mining is deficient in specific technical areas, particularly regarding the management of high-volume liquid and solid waste and the protection of biodiversity during exploration.
• While a legal framework for the formalization of artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) exists, it is hindered by illegal activities, corruption in control agencies, and cross-border issues with Colombia and Peru.
• Community consultation processes are perceived as non-binding and insufficient, leading to social discontent and a lack of consensus on the role of indigenous communities in decision-making.
• The state lacks sufficient geological data and technical human resources in the field, with only approximately 40% of the national territory covered by geological information.
• The current criteria for defining 'small-scale' mining are too broad, allowing some operations to function at a scale that requires much stricter environmental and tax obligations than those currently applied.

APA

Danielson, L., Bueno, P. D. L. C., & Ruete, M. (2019). Evaluación del Marco de Políticas Mineras del IGF: Ecuador. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/ecuador-mining-policy-framework-assessment-es.pdf

Chicago

Danielson, Luke, Patricia de la Cueva Bueno, and Marina Ruete. Evaluación del Marco de Políticas Mineras del IGF: Ecuador. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2019. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/ecuador-mining-policy-framework-assessment-es.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Danielson |first1=Luke |last2=Bueno |first2=Patricia de la Cueva |last3=Ruete |first3=Marina |title=Evaluación del Marco de Políticas Mineras del IGF: Ecuador |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=March 2019 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/ecuador-mining-policy-framework-assessment-es.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{danielson2019evaluacin, author = {Danielson, Luke and Bueno, Patricia de la Cueva and Ruete, Marina}, title = {{Evaluación del Marco de Políticas Mineras del IGF: Ecuador}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2019}, month = mar, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/ecuador-mining-policy-framework-assessment-es.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }